(WHTM) — Penn State Well being is advising the general public to not go to hospital emergency departments for routine COVID-19 testing. This advisement comes after seeing an inflow of sufferers, each those that are symptomatic and asymptomatic, searching for checks in ERs in Central Pa. and the Berks area.
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“Folks searching for COVID-19 checks on the emergency division when they aren’t sick place an incredible burden on the medical workers’s capability to deal with sufferers who want emergent care,” mentioned Dr. Peter Dillon, chief medical officer, Penn State Well being.
As a substitute, the well being system means that those that are totally vaccinated and boosted and are feeling gentle COVID signs ought to go to a household doctor or an pressing care heart for remedy.
For testing, those that are symptomatic can schedule a digital appointment to debate signs and decide whether or not testing is required by way of Penn State Well being’s OnDemand app; or, buy an at-home take a look at, which may be discovered at some drug shops; or, go to hhs.gov to discover a testing website.
The present wait time in ERs throughout the Commonwealth are hours lengthy on account of excessive affected person volumes.
“We’re asking for the general public’s assist throughout this time of excessive demand for care by searching for the medical care they want from probably the most acceptable locations, and solely utilizing their native emergency division for true emergent wants,” Dr. Dillon added.
